Clamping device



April 9, 19,35. y T. MELDER4 lj' AL CLAMPING DEVICE Filed May l2, 1934 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 Unirse PATENT OFFICE, N Y [dissuasif Y 'Y nlrvronf` f i 1 "ff'rheoabr Meiderana Mariee o. Goldsmith,

'if ,""Boston,l\'.la`ss".Y y e ,ipucatn May 12.1934, sriamdrmpes Y l-Aiolaims 101.24792251') f Our. invention relates "to ,clamping devices' generally and especially to claspsl forsuspenders,

garters or other articles which are to support trousers, stockingsprother articles.'` c I The principal objectof our-,invention is to providea simple but eective clamping device,which has a very strong grip, which 'fwillfnot get. out.

of order even whenV used by a careless user, which is adapted to grip articles of diferentthicknesses,

which will be inexpensivefto manufacture, which will not bend out of shape, and :which will be verydurable.` i" ,I `@ther objects will be` pointed out below. rV

, A feature of our inventionis a. slide` which vis movable toclosethe clamping jaws. .I I I g Another feature .isa'special form of a` slide member I i I Other features will bepointed. out below.: 1f In the .drawing Figure l embodying ourinvention and shown in open position;

Figure 2 is a similar section, on a larger scale,

with the clasp closed; Y

Figures 3 and Ll are, respectively, a plan, `andside elevation, of one of the jaw members;

Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, a side elevation anda bottom plan, of the other jaw member;

I Figures 7 `and 8 are,` respectively, a plan and a side elevation, of the slide member;

. Figure 9 is an elevation of the spring member;

`Figure 10 is an elevation of the pin; and Figure ll is a section on line I I-I I of Figure 2.

I The lower jaw member has a flat base portion I, preerably of metal, and, integral therewith,

side flanges 2 and 3 andend flange 4', the side flanges being upwardly extended at 5 and 6, these extensions being perforated at 1 and 8. 'Ihe end flange 4 is 4extended upwardly at!) toform `a clasping jaw. l I

The upper jaw memberV has a flat base portion I0, preferably of metal, and, integral therewith, side flanges II and i2 and end flange I3', the side flanges II and I2 being downwardly extended at I4 and I5, these extensions being perforated at I6 and l1 to registerwith the per@ forations l and 8.1 The end iange I3 is extended downwardly at I8 to form the other clasping jaw. The upper jaw member is bevelled at each I side at I9 for a purpose described below.

A pin passes through perforations1,8,"IISV and Il and `may be headed over atits ends andl acts to hold thetwo jaw members in pivoted rela-,

tion, the anges Il and I2 being vjust inside of anges and 3.r Y

'of springs.

is `a longitudinalfsection of a'clasp I Afspring is coiled'ab'out pin 20 and has one' leg `2l bearing against the bottom of the upper jaw memberand has leg 22 bearing against the top of the lower jaw member, these legs normally tendingto` separate the jaw ends'of the jaw mern-Vv 5 bers."

-1. I' The slide element, shown in: Figures 7 ands, is preferably of'me't'al, and has a bodyportion 23 and an integral loop portion 24 to receive a por-` tion 25 of I a suspenderv or other supporting article. integralV alsowith body portion 23 are two upwardlyextending cam fingers 26 and 21 spaced apart to permit the coiled spring to be put in place; -Eachcam finger has `an upwardly extending Vface 28 and a downwardly extending 15v face `2.9, thelatter being spaced fro-mbody portion 23, and the two fingersY having Ythe lfunction The two faces 28and 2S] meet atthe The transverse-dimension of the body"'23 `is vsuch as to make a snug sliding t. between `flanges 2 andi-3 of the'lower jaw member, andthe trans-- verse dimension across the ngers and the space between them issuch as Yto permit iitting within the fianges II and I2.. 25

, When the partsv are assembled they appear as in Figures l and 2. I

In Fig. 1 the clamping jaws are shown inthe open position, being so held by the spring 2 VI-`,22. The beveled portions I of the side anges of member In, permit ample opening of said jaws.

In Fig. 2 the clamping jaws are shown closed. By moving the slide or lockingv member to the right from the position `shown in Fig. `1, to the position shown in Fig. 2, the clamping' jaws are closed or brought into clamping position.y By moving the locking member'to the left from thev position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig.4 1,A the jaws are permitted to open in response to the action of the spring 2I-22.

Itwill be understood that one spring finger might very well be used but I have shown two spaced apart as a convenience in putting the spring 2|, 22 in position.

The ends of portions 29 are spaced from body portion 23 not only to 'gain Vthe spring function referred'to butalso to permit `the right hand `portions of the Vjaw members to come closer tof gether withoutbending of the left hand portions, `which bending-might occur if trousers or other material of extraordinary thickness were inserted.

. `It is to be notedthat the locking member comprises the part 23, slidable on the inner face of the jawmember I, and also the resilient or spring Y 'extensions or fingers 26' and 21, inclined upwardly 55 Y K 2, p from and backwardly over the vsaid part 23, and then inclined downwardly but terminating short of the part 23, to form a resilientcam with the apex 30.

This apex 3G is adapted to engage the inner face of the upper jaw member l0, and is adapted to be reciprocated to and from approximate vertical alinement with the pivotr center. By vertical alinement, Vis meant ythe position on the broken line d lin Fig. Ai, whenrthe body l ef the'cla-sp is in horizontalposition. The shape and dimension of the cam formation are such that when the locking member is moved to the right to bring the apexV 3B to the position shown in Fig. 2, the cam forma` tion is putv under tension, sothat said tension reacts to force the grippingends 9 and I8', into with :fabrics varying in thickness.

`What we claim is: Y L

, 1. A device of the character described compris# ing apair of clamping Vjaw members vpivoted together intermediate their two ends, a 'looking' memberhavingapart -slidable uponthe inner Vsurface-oihone jaw member and having a resilient cam formation with an apex orfslidably engaging the inner-'surface of'therother jaw member, said Vlocking member adapted to be reciprocatedfto moveesaid apex to and from approximate vertical alinement with the pivot center, so that when movedfin Adirection away from said alinementto-Y ward the rearend ofthe jaw member, the said jawrmembers are brought intofclamping position under resilient pressure. e Y Y V2. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of clamping jaw members pivoted together intermediate their two ends, aA locking member having a part slidable upon the inner face of one Ajaw member and having an extension inclined upwardly from andbackwardly over said rst part and then downwardly to form an apex for engaging the inner face of the other jaw member, said locking member adapted to be reciprocated to and from a position in which the clamping ends of said jaw members are forced into and held in clamping position, and to and from a position in which the separation of said clamping lends is permitted. l o Y Y 3. A device ofi the character described, compris-Y ing a pair Yof clamping jaw members pivoted/to-V 'gether intermediate ...their two ends,-a locking member Yhaving apart slidableupon the inner face of one jaw member and Ahaving an extension inclined upwardly from and backwardly over the said first part and then downwardly7 but terminat- Cilr ing short of saidfrst part, said `formation prof `viding an apex-for, engaging the inner face of Athe other f, jaw member, said locking memberl adapted'tobe reciprocated' to and from a positionk f `in which the clamping ends of said .jaw members are forced into and held in clamping position, and

toand from a position inwhich th'eseparati'oniof said clampingends is permitted;

4. v A device of the character described, compris# ing a pair of clamping jaw members pivote'd to- Y gether intermediate their two. ends, a locking member having .a part slidable upon rthe inner face orf one jaw member and having yparallel extensions inclined upwardly from and Vbackwardly over thesaid first part .and then downwardly, said parallel extensions providingapices for engaging the inner face of ther other jaw member, said locking member adapted to be reciprocate'd to and from a position in which the clamping ends of f said jaw A,members areorced into and held in Y' clamping position, and to and from a position in which .the separation of said clamping ends per- Y mitted. Y. Y ,Y

THEODORE MELDER.. MAURICE O. .GOLDSMITH 

